Matariki – theMāori New Year

According to maramataka (the Māori calendar), the rising of the Matariki star cluster (the Pleiades or Seven Sisters) in the eastern sky brings the old year to a close and marks the beginning of the new year.

Ka puta Matariki ka rere Whānui.

Ko te tohu tēnā o te tau e!

Matariki reappears, Whānui starts its flight.

The new year begins!

A time of renewal

The Matariki star cluster appears in midwinter, around the time of the winter solstice and the shortest day of the year. It signals the beginning of the transition to spring and eventually to summer.

Matariki is a hopeful event – it symbolises renewal, reawakening, and revival.

Customary Matariki activities

In the past, the Māori New Year was a period of celebratory activities.

Fun and learning

Families spent the long, cold nights during Matariki at home, either in whare wānanga (learning together) or in whare tapere (entertaining one another).

Memorial and remembrance

Matariki, as a marker of transition, was a natural time for families to mourn and honour those who had passed away in the previous year. These loved ones were considered “te hunga kua whetūrangitia” – they had become stars themselves. Events of the past year were also recalled and considered.

Harvest and feasting

Matariki’s appearance in the sky was associated with the end of the harvest and with feasting.

Ngā kai a Matariki, nāna i ao ake ki runga.

The foods of Matariki, scooped up by her.

Matariki today

The Māori New Year is becoming an annual event of national significance. Matariki celebrations illuminate the tangata whenua (original people of the land) worldview, reminding us of natural ways to mark the passage of time – in contrast to artificial timekeeping mechanisms, such as the watch. They help to revitalise customary knowledge and encourage the flourishing of new knowledge. Matariki offers a time for New Zealanders to consider their relationship with the natural world – the islands, sea, and sky of their home.

Why we celebrate Matariki.

The star cluster Matariki (also known as the Pleiades) reappears in the dawn sky above Aotearoa New Zealand in late May or early June. The new moon following the rising of Matariki signals the Māori New Year. Customarily, this was a time to remember the deceased of the past year and to plan for the next year. Today, Matariki has been revived as a celebration of people, culture, language, spirituality, and history. It is a time for whānau (family) and friends to come together to reflect on the past 12 months and look towards the year ahead.